Life’s Difficult Questions

Life is full of difficult questions! Remember when you were a child and wanted to know who created everything and why everything is the way it is?

As we progress with age we think we have all life’s answers, only to discover that the questions have changed! We progressively realise that life is not as simple as we first thought.

There are times when we meet perplexing and confusing circumstances. Those closest to us let us down or things that we have placed our confidence in betray us; loss of a job, a breakdown in a long-term friendship or marriage, a death of a loved one, the announcement of redundancy at our place of work, illness or disability, and so on.

We suddenly realise that everything is subject to change and that the only constant in life is change. Our youthful self-confidence and exuberance may suddenly give way to doubt. Emotional turmoil and even fear can plunge us into depression and self-doubt. Joy can give way to depression, and sometimes even suicide.

As humans we find that life is fraught with challenges and disappointments. Even our brand new possessions seem to lose their appeal when we are challenged with unexpected difficulties. Slowly but surely even our physical appearance betrays us and before we know it, we have aged and our perspectives on life have changed beyond recognition.

In the midst of all the uncertainty and instability of life, it is fortunate that we have a sure foundation on which we can build our lives. There are answers to life’s difficult questions and they can be found in the Bible.

When I first became a Christian in 1974, I had many questions such as “are we born only to die?” It did not make sense to me that we are placed on this earth only to wither away like an autumn leaf and spend eternity in a void. I discovered that the Bible answered all the penetrating questions I had about life, even explaining what happens when we die, and how we should live our lives on planet earth.

It is a bizarre thought that we are quick to consult a doctor when we are ill, take medication that we know nothing about and expect to be healed of our illness. That is what I call blind faith. We simply trust another human being or a company that produces Pharmaceutical drugs, despite the fact that many people die each year from complications with drugs, incorrect Medical diagnosis, or complications during surgery. There are obviously times when even the best medical practitioners in the world are not able to save a life or solve a medical problem. This is not because they are necessarily incompetent but because they are finite beings who have a limited understanding of creation.

Even mundane creations such as fridges, cars, washing and coffee machines have instruction manuals! It is a strange phenomenon that we usually first “have a go” at using our latest acquisition before consulting the user manual. Just as appliances and vehicles come complete with user manuals, the Bible is the instruction manual for human beings. It reveals that we did not simply come into the world through some random process, but that we have been created by an intelligent being and that He has an eternal plan for us.

We truly have an amazing future ahead of us – a future that transcends even death. This is what the Bible calls “good news”, and once we discover why we were really created, it becomes self-evident why the good news is such good news!

Jesus said: “I am The Way, the Truth, and the Life” – but what does that mean? The Bible provides the answer to this question and it is probably the most significant question we all have to answer. Jesus also claimed to be “the Alpha and the Omega” (the Beginning and the End); but what does that mean and why are these statements of such great significance for us?

So, if you have difficult questions that need answering, maybe it’s time for you to consult the Bible. You may be very surprised at what you will discover. Maybe you’ve tried other methods to find the meaning of life, and maybe you’ve been disappointed by the results. That may be because you’ve searched in the wrong place all along.